Ultimate Guide to Minnesota State Bar Exam
Your complete guide to Minnesota bar exam prep.
Pass Rates · Bar Review Courses · Format · Essay Topics · Schedule · Dates · Location · Application Fees & Deadlines · What to Bring · Scores & Grading · Results · Reciprocity · Law Schools · Groups · Other Resources
*Updated July 2022
Minnesota State Bar Exam | Basic Information
The Minnesota State Bar Association was formed in 1883. It is a voluntary association open to all licensed attorneys and current law students.
Minnesota is one of 40+ jurisdictions that have adopted the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE). Minnesota first administered the UBE in 2014.
February 2022 (174 takers)
February 2021 (186 takers)
| Crushendo | Barbri | Themis | Kaplan | AmeriBar | BarMax | |
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| *Cost | $970 | $1,999-4,199 | $2,695 | $2,199-3,999 | $1,299-2,599 | $1,895 |
| Facebook Rating | 5.0 | Disabled | 4.8 | Disabled | Disabled | 4.3 |
| Google Rating | 5.0 | N/A | 2.8 | 3.2 | N/A | N/A |
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| NCBE Questions | 1,750+ | 100+ | 1,350+ | 1,200+ | 1,400+ | 1,700+ |
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| 250+ Mnemonics | |
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| Access Period | Lifetime | 8-10 weeks | 4 months | 4 months | Up to 3 years | Lifetime |
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3 payments | $250 registration |  |
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| Founded | 2017 | 1974 | 2008 | 1938 | 1999 | 2010 |
| Phone | (385) 482-1776 | (888) 322-7274 | (888) 843-6476 | (626) 390-7170 | (877) 942-2763 | (800) 529-2651 |
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Last updated: 1/7/23
*Cost ignores promotions and live tutoring.
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Crushendo’s written and audio outlines utilize 250+ proprietary mnemonics to help you memorize everything you need to know to pass the bar exam on your first try.
Crushendo’s complete bar prep course, the UBE Suite, costs $970 and includes 1,750+ official practice questions from the NCBE.
Crushendo offers lifetime access for all of its bar exam prep products.
Adam Balinski founded Crushendo Bar Review in 2017 (read the founding story here).
The Harcourt publishing company founded Barbri in 1974 when it acquired two bar review programs. Since its founding, Barbri has been owned by large firms including Thomson Reuters and Leeds Equity Partners.
Barbri products have been used by more than a million law school students. In the last 20 years Barbri has settled multiple antitrust lawsuits.
Barbri’s traditional bar prep programs cost $1,999-4,199 and some include 100+ official NCBE questions from past bar exams.
Barbri offers access to its traditional, full-time bar prep course for 8-10 weeks, but early access can be purchased.
Themis Bar Review is based in Chicago and was founded in 2008.
Themis’s bar prep program costs $2,695 and includes 1,350+ NCBE questions.
Themis offers access to its online products for four months.
Stanley Kaplan founded Kaplan, Inc. in 1938.
Kaplan jumped into the bar review space in 2006 when it acquired PMBR, a company that provides test prep for the MBE. In 2008 Kaplan expanded its bar review offerings.
Kaplan’s bar prep programs cost $2,199-3,999 and include 1,200+ NCBE questions.
Kaplan offers access to its online products for four months.
Alexander Nakis founded AmeriBar in 1999. It’s headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida.
AmeriBar’s bar exam prep programs cost $1,299-2,599 and include 1,400+ NCBE questions.
AmeriBar offers access to its online products for up to three years.
Michael Ghaffary and Mehran Ebadolahi founded BarMax in 2010.
BarMax’s bar prep course costs $1,895 and includes 1,700+ NCBE questions.
BarMax offers lifetime access to its online products.
What’s the format of the UBE?
The Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) is administered twice each year in Minnesota (in February and July). The examination is administered over two days in four, three-hour sessions. The UBE has three parts: the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE), the Multistate Essay Exam (MEE), and the Multistate Performance Test (MPT).
MBE
The MBE is a six-hour test and consists of 200 multiple-choice questions that test your understanding across seven subjects. Your MBE score comprises 50% of your overall UBE score.
Crushendo offers affordable, comprehensive written and audio outlines for MBE subjects (in addition to MEE and MPRE subjects).
Watch Crushendo’s free MBE tips video.
MEE
The MEE consists of six 30-minute legal essays. The MEE makes up 30% of your score.
Essay topics may include the following: Business Associations, Civil Procedure, Conflict of Laws, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Family Law, Property, Secured Transactions, Torts, Trusts, Unincorporated Business Entities, Wills and Estates, etc.
Crushendo offers the most recent MEE questions and includes the point sheets that the graders used. Watch Crushendo’s free MEE tips video.
MPT
The MPT consists of two 90-minute tasks where you analyze and apply laws to specific scenarios. The MPT makes up 20% of your score. Crushendo offers the most recent MPT questions and includes the point sheets that the graders used. Watch Crushendo’s free MPT tips video.
What’s the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination?
The Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) tests your understanding of established standards of conduct for lawyers. The MPRE is administered three times each year (in March, August, and November). The test consists of 60 multiple-choice questions and is two hours long. Check out this MPRE Tips video!
Upcoming Bar Exam Schedule, Dates, Location
The location of the bar exam varies. Check the Minnesota bar website for details.
Are you interested in taking the Minnesota State bar exam? Here’s some basic information on applying to take the Minnesota bar exam.
The Minnesota Bar application fee for most takers is $700, including the $100 laptop fee. There is an additional $200 fee if you file after the timely deadline.
*Visit the Minnesota State Bar Admission Office’s website for more information.
If you desire to take the bar exam in February, the filing deadline is October 15. There is a late filing deadline on December 2. If you want to take the July bar exam, the filing deadline is March 16. There is a late filing deadline on May 1.
In addition to passing the Minnesota bar exam with a score of at least 260, there are several requirements that must be met in order to be admitted as an attorney in Minnesota, including:
- Score 85 or higher on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) within the accepted time frame.
- Certificate of Good Standing
Minnesota State Bar Admissions Office
Physical address:
Minnesota State Board of Bar Examiners
180 East 5th Street, Suite 950
St. Paul, Minnesota 55101
Phone number: (651) 297-1857
Email: ble@mbcle.state.mn.us
Allowed items
- Hotel key, car key, key fob
- Parking receipt, bus ticket
- Passport or drivers license
- Credit card, cash
- Contacts case and lens solution
- Extra eyeglasses
- Laptop, charger cord, wired mouse, keyboard
- Medication, epipen, inhaler
- Eyedrops
- Chapstick
- Cough drops
- Feminine hygiene products
- Hair clip
Ear plugs, tissues, pens, and pencils will be provided.
Prohibited items
- Any item that can connect to the internet
- Any item that can record audio or video
- Backpacks
- Books
- Briefcases
- Calculators
- Cameras
- Hand sanitizer or lotion
- Notes
- Phones
- Food or drink
- Purses
- Radios
- Rulers
- Scratch papers
- Study materials
- Wallet
Learn more here.
View those who passed the Minnesota State bar exam, posted on the Minnesota State Bar Association’s website.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are my Minnesota bar exam results released?
February bar exam results are normally posted in April. July bar exam results are normally posted in October.
Can I see my Minnesota bar exam score?
If you passed the Minnesota bar exam, you won’t be able to see your score. If you failed the exam, you will receive MPT items, MEE questions, and a copy of the scored written essays in the mail.
Can I appeal to have my Minnesota bar exam re-graded?
No.
How many times can I take the bar exam in Minnesota?
You can retake the UBE without any limit in Minnesota.
Applicants seeking admission to the Minnesota State Bar, without taking the bar exam, must comply with Reciprocity Requirements.
If you are a part of a bar in any of the states, territories, or jurisdictions in the United States, you are able to have reciprocity with the state of Minnesota if approved by the Board. In order to be eligible for admittance to the Minnesota State Bar, without taking the bar examination, you must have:
- A Certificate of Good Standing from last state
- Proof of active legal standing for 36 of the last 60 months
Here’s a list of law schools in Minnesota.
University of Minnesota Law School
- Founded: 1888
- Located: Minneapolis, MN
- Enrollment: about 1,000
- Tuition Cost: $55,868 View tuition breakdown
- Bar Passage Rate: 78%
- ABA Accredited: Yes
- Website: law.umn.edu
University of St. Thomas School of Law
- Founded: 1999
- Located: Minneapolis, MN
- Enrollment: about 350
- Tuition Cost: $42,298 View tuition breakdown
- Bar Passage Rate: 78%
- ABA Accredited: Yes
- Website: stthomas.edu/law
Mitchell Hamline School of Law
- Founded: 2015
- Located: Saint Paul, MN
- Enrollment: about 1,300
- Tuition Cost: $44,980 View tuition breakdown
- Bar Passage Rate: 71%
- ABA Accredited: Yes
- Website: mitchellhamline.edu
Here are some Facebook groups you may find helpful before, and after, passing the bar exam:
- Minnesota Association of Law Libraries (65 members)
- National Lawyer’s Guild – University of Minnesota Law School Chapter (35 members)
- MN Paralegals, Legal Assistants, and Legal Secretaries (263 members)
- Minnesota Lawyer’s Up & Coming Attorney Alumni (22 members)
University of Minnesota Law School
- Minnesota Pre-Law Society (794 members)
- APALSA at Minnesota Law (MNAPALSA) (220 members)
- Minnesota Law 2016 “Bar Review” (137 members)
- Hmong Law Students of Minnesota (13 members)
- Public Interest Students at Minnesota Law, Class of 2017 (40 members)
- University of Minnesota Law School Fighting Mondales Hockey Club (59 members)
- University of Minnesota Law School BLSA (26 members)
- Minnesota Law School Outlaw (139 members)
- MN Law Class of 2022 (283 members)
- MN Law Class of 2021 (292 members)
- MN Law Class of 2020 (262 members)
- MN Law School Class of 2019 (204 members)
- MN Law School Class of 2018 (257 members)
- MN Law School Class of 2016 (346 members)
- University of Minnesota Law School Admitted Students Class of 2015 (256 members)
- MN Law Class of 2014 (234 members)
University of St. Thomas School of Law
- University of St. Thomas School of Law (MN) Alumni Association (962 members)
- University of St. Thomas LL. M. in U.S. Law Class Group (139 members)
- Women’s Networking Group St. Thomas Law MN (149 members)
- University of St. Thomas School of Law (MN) Alumni Association (962 members)
- St. Thomas Law Alumni (579 members)
- St. Thomas School of Law Young Alumni Association (344 members)
- St. Thomas School of Law Class of 2022 (205 members)
- St. Thomas School of Law – Class of 2021 (200 members)
- St. Thomas Law – Class of 2020 (197 members)
- St. Thomas Law – Class of 2019 (190 members)
- St. Thomas Law – Class of 2018 (204 members)
- Class of 2018, St. Thomas Law (175 members)
- Class of 2017, University of St. Thomas School of Law (174 members)
Mitchell Hamline School of Law
- Mitchell | Hamline Privacy & Security Law Society (21 members)
- Mitchell Hamline Law Review Vol. 44 Write On (138 members)
- Mitchell Hamline Business Law Society (127 members)
- Environmental Law Society at Mitchell Hamline School of Law (34 members)
- Mitchell Hamline Criminal Law Society (135 members)
- Microsoft Student Partnership at Mitchell Hamline School of Law (55 members)
- Mitchell Hamline Indian Law Students and Alum (58 members)
- Mitchell Hamline Black Law Students Association (19 members)
- Mitchell Hamline School of Law Career and Professional Development (351 members)
- Mitchell | Hamline Law – Class of 2019 Weekend Section (25 members)
- Mitchell Hamline School of Law Incoming Executive J. D. Class of 2017 (58 members)
- Mitchell Hamline School of Law Incoming Class of 2017 (191 members)
- Mitchell Hamline School of Law Incoming Hybrid Class of 2017 (79 members)
- Mitchell Hamline School of Law Incoming Hybrid Class of Fall 2016 (97 members)
More helpful resources and study materials to help you pass the Minnesota State Bar Exam: